This Town

Chapter Forty Three

The first few pubs were pretty easy going. Nothing too horrendous happened, mostly just joyous reverie. But, around the sixth pub, we were all either drunk or close to it. We stumbled into a pub that I hadn't been into in years. We took off our coats and made our way to the bar. Once seated, I looked around and realized where I was. Over in the corner was the same booth that she had been at with her father the day we officially met.

No one had mentioned her to me in the few hours I had been back. I turned to Thomas and whispered, "Hey, man, how's Siobhan?"

He looked at me, an odd expression on his face, "Niall, you need to stop asking about her. It's been a year since you two broke up."

"I know. I just want to make sure she's doing okay, especially since her father died. I can only imagine what it must be like for her. Geez." I didn't know what had gotten into him.

Thomas sighed and said, "She's doing okay. I honestly haven't spoken or seen her much since the service. To be honest, I'm kinda irked you didn't come home."

"I did!" I nearly shouted. I lowered my voice, "I did come home. She just didn't want me there so I had to sneak around but I was there. I sat in the back of the church and stayed until everyone left to say goodbye to him myself. I was there, Thomas. I watched as she had to go through this without me. I realize we hadn't talked much but I still don't understand why she refused to even want me there. He was like a father to me too." I hung my head, realizing how it all must've sounded. How pathetic I must've seemed to him to not have the guts to talk to the girl I had loved for so many years when she needed me the most. The girl I still loved.

"Oh. Sorry, I, uh, didn't know that."

"I paid for everything," I mumbled.

"Huh?"

"I paid for the funeral service and the bills on her house for the year so she wouldn't have to worry about any of that. What do you mean you haven't seen her?"

Thomas looked at me, "I, uh, just haven't. Been really busy and she's been taking care of her father's things and whatnot."

"Do you know what she's doing for the holidays?" I asked.

Right then, a rush of cold air burst into the hot pub. The bartender had brought us our drinks and I was taking a swig from my beer when I turned around and saw her. She had just walked through the door and was looking around for a place to sit. She didn't see me. But what I saw next sent me reeling. Coming in directly behind her was Conor Byrne who placed his hands on her shoulders and pointed at a table by the front window. She looked, nodded, and then my heart stopped - she grabbed his hand as his other hand rested on her back as they made their way to the table. They sat down next to each other, rather than across from each other. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and then to my utter disbelief he kissed her!

Had I not been sitting already, I surely would've fallen to the floor. Thomas saw where I was looking and cringed, "I...uh..."

"What the fuck am I looking at?"

"Uhhhh."

"Thomas?" I began as I took my eyes of the scene across from me and looked at him, "Did you know?"

He looked away, took a sip of his drink and nodded, "Yeah, I did."

"And what? You were waiting to tell me at the right time that the girl I've loved since I was ten was dating one of the assholes who tortured her?"

"Hey, I'd prefer it if she wasn't dating him either but you two did break up. She's allowed to make her own decisions, no matter how badly they may be. Although, to be honest, he's a good guy, Niall."